Thyestes (Seneca's Second Tragedy) · chunk 12 of 24
Heywood, Jasper / Seneca, Lucius Annaeus · published 1560 · first performed or written 1560 (Annals) tragedy T34 Thebes and royal catastrophe: siege, sla typicality 0.83 · 498 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T34: thebes, antigone, polynices, creon, eteocles, war, theban, gods, dear, country.
A lust reward for such desertis, the god (o brother dear) repay to thee: but on my head a regal crown to wear, My loathsome life denies: and far doth from the sceptre flee My hand unhappy: in the midst let leeful be for me Of men to lurke●… this kingdom can with ●…wayne full well agree. What ever is (o brother) yours, I count it mine to be. Who would dame fortune's gyfiꝭ refuse, if she him raise to reign? The gifts of her each man it wots, how soon they pass again. ye me depry●… of glory great, except ye th●…●…mpyre take. You have your praise in offering 〈◊〉, and I it to forsake. And full persuaded to refuse the kingdom, am I still. Except your part ye will sustain mine own forsake I will. I take it then. and bear I will the name thereof alone: The rights and arms, as well as mine they shall be yours each one. The regal crown as you beseems upon your head then take: And I th'appointed sacrifice for gods, will now go make. Would any man it ween? that cruel wight Atreus, of mind so impotent to see Was soon astonished with his brother's sight. no greater force than piety may be: Where kindred is not, lasteth every threat, whom true love holds, it holds eternally. The wrath but late with causes kindled great all favour broke, and did to battle cry, When horsemen did resound on every side, the swords each where, then glistered more and more: Which raging Mars with often stroke did guide the fresher blood to shed yet thirsting sore. But love the sword against their wills doth suage, and them to peace persuades with hand in hand. So sodeyn●… rest, amid so grea●…e a rage what god hath made? throughout Mycenae's land The harness clinked, but late of civil strife: and for their babes did fearful mothers quake, Her armed spou●…e to lose much feared the wife. when sword was made the scabberd●… to forsake, That now by ●…est with rust was overgrown. come to re●…ayre the walls that did decay, And some to strength the ●…owres half overthrown, and some the gates with begins of iron to stay Full busy were, and dreadful watch by night from turret high did overlook the town. Worse is than war itself the fear of fight. now are the threats of cruel sword laid down, And now the rumour 〈◊〉 of battles sown, the noise of crooked trumpet silent lies, And quiet peace returns to loyfull town. so when the waves of swelling surge arise, While Corus' wind the Brutian seas doth smite, and Scylla sounds from hollow caves within, And shipmen are with wafting waves affright, Charybdis casts that erst it had drunk in: And Cyclops fierce his father yet doth dread, in Aetna bank that fervent is with heats, lest quenched be with waves that overshed the fire that from eternal furnace beats:
seed 43: T30 · seed 44: T33 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
A lust rewarde for suche desertꝭ, the goddꝭ (o brother deare) Repaye to the: but on my hed a regall crowne to weare, My lothsome lyfe denyes: and farre dothe from the sceptor flee My hande vnhappie: in the mydst let leefull be for mee Of men to lurke this kindome can with wayne full well agree. What euer is (o brother) yours, I count it myne to bee. Who wolde dame fortunes gyfiꝭ refuse, if she him rayse to raygne? The gyfts of hir eche man it wotes, how soone they passe agayne. ye me depry of glory greate, except ye th mpyre take. You haue your prayse in offryng , and I it to forsake. And full perswaded to refuse the kyngdome, am I still. Except your part ye will susteine myne owne forsake I will. I take it then. and beare I will the name thereof alone: The ryghts and armes, as well as myne they shall be yours eche one. The regall crowne as you besemes vppon your hed then take: And I thappointed sacrifice for godds, will now goe make. WOlde any man it weene? that cruell wyght Atreus, of mynde so impotent to see Was soone astonied with his brothers syght. no greater force then pietee may be: Where kynred is not, lasteth euery threate, whom true loue holdes, it holdes eternallye. The wrathe but late with causes kyndled greate all fauour brake, and dyd to battayle crye, Whan horsemen did resounde on euery syde, the swoordes eche where, then glystred more and more: Which ragyng Mars with often stroke dyd guyde the fresher bloud to shedde yet thyrstyng sore. But loue the sworde agaynst theyr wills doth swage, and them to peace perswades with hand in hand. So sodeyn rest, amyd so greae a rage what god hath made? throughout Mycenas lande The harnes clynkt, but late of cyuill stryfe: and for theyr babes dyd fearefull mothers quake, Her armed spoue to leese muche fearde the wyfe. when swoorde was made the scabberd to forsake, That now by est with rust was ouergrowne. come to reayre the walles that dyd decaye, And some to strength the owres halfe ouerthrowne, and some the gates wyth gyns of yrne to staye Full busie were, and dreadfull watche by nyght from turret highe dyd ouerlooke the towne. Woorse is then warte it selfe the feare of fyght. now are the threats of cruell swoorde layde downe, And now the rumor of battayles sowne, the noyse of crooked trumpet sylent lyes, And quiete peace returnes to loyfull towne. so when the waues of swelling surge aryse, While Corus wynde the Brutian seas doth smight, and Scylla soundes from hollowe caues within, And shipmen are with waftyng waues affryght, Charybdis casts that erst it had droonke in: And Cyclops fierce his father yet dothe dred, in Actna banke that feruent is with heates, Leste quenched be with waues that ouershed the fyre that from eternall fornace beates: